> The richest countries in the world in the past couple of decades - in> world history in fact - adjusted for population are the Scandinavian> democracies, with their world's highest levels of taxation and social> welfare, and their vastly intelligently designed capitalism,> especially Norway.

That has been refuted. You have to make $80,000 a year in Norway, just to get by. Which explains the absence of a mad flight of people to Norway. Norway is ok and all, for Norwegians I guess, but this idea that it is carved from gold has been debunked.

Also, the teachers there are poorly paid, but they work fewer hours, so I guess it is a wash.